More on the history of federal funding for the new Royal Alberta Museum.
Museum, art gallery get $60M funding boost: $1 million for Lt.-Gov. of Alberta arts program
Tom Barrett. Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alta.: Jan 18, 2005. pg. B.3
EDMONTON - The Provincial Museum and the Edmonton Art Gallery received huge funding boosts Monday, as Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan announced approximately $60 million for Alberta centennial projects.
The museum will receive $30 million from the federal government to assist a massive revitalization that should begin by early next year. The project is expected to comfortably top the $100-million mark when the provincial government makes a further funding announcement during the Queen's visit in May.
The Edmonton Art Gallery will also get up to $10 million for renovations and the Glenbow Museum, the Museum of the Regiments, Heritage Park and the Alberta Children's Hospital, all in Calgary, will receive approximately $13 million for projects. Another $1 million will go to the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Program.
"All levels of government and all Albertans see this 100th anniversary as an opportunity for us to take stock in terms of where we've been and where we want to go," McLellan said. She expressed particular joy about the government's contribution to the arts award program, in light of Lois Hole's death a week ago.
"On behalf of a grieving province I especially want to welcome the matching grant for the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta Arts Award," said Gary Mar, Alberta Community Development minister. "The people of Alberta accept it in memory of a grand and gracious lady, he added, his voice breaking.
"It's an exciting day for Alberta, but I think Edmontonians in particular should feel pretty good about the federal contributions," said Provincial Museum director Bruce McGillivary. "One of our most exciting plans is to make this into the gateway to the river valley," he added. "Right now we kind of hide the river valley. In my view we have one of the best scenic outlooks of any place in the city, but the view is blocked." McGillivary says trails or even a funicular, a kind of outdoor elevator, should be used to connect the museum and the river valley. "I'd like to make this a four seasons destination," he added.
Museum officials also plan to construct an underground parkade and recapture the green space taken up now by an outdoor parking lot, possibly with interpretive gardens. There will be many new exhibits, possibly displaying the development of the ice age, for example.
McLellan, Mar and McGillivary all noted the museum is the ideal choice for centennial money. It was built in 1967 to celebrate Canada's centennial and contains stonework from all the other provinces. Mar said the province would announce a substantial increase to the $21 million already budgeted for the museum's renovation. McGillivary noted that similar projects in Toronto and other major cities cost $150 million or more and said a suggestion of $130 million was "getting warmer."
Edmonton Art Gallery director Tony Luppino may have been the happiest man at the press conference with up to $10 million in federal money in hand for a renovation and expansion on the site beside Winston Churchill Square. "It's terrific," he said. "It really takes us where we need to be. We have so many supporters who want to help but need to know the building's going to happen. Now they know."
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